Whiffletree attachment



(No Model.

J. KURTZ.

WHIFFLETREE ATTACHMENT. No. 290,890. Patented Dec; Z5, 1883.

l t .o

JACOB KURTZ, or :onnmvo, MINNESOTA; j 7

.WHIFFLETREE ATTACHMENT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 290,890,

dated December 25, 1883.

Application filed October 13, 1883. (X0 model.)

2" 0 all whom izimay concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB KURTZ, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Delano, in the county of \Vright and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Attachments for Whiffletrees; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters'or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to devices for detaching horses from vehicles to which they are hitched; and my invention consists in the improved construction, as will be fully described hereinafter, whereby the detaching of the animal is at all times within the control of the driver, the accidental detachment prevented, and the devices for preventing such accidental detachment so arranged as to be thrown into or out of engagement with the Working parts of the device.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a whiflletree having my invention embodied therein and arranged to hold the traces; Fig. 2, a like view, showing the manner of detaching the traces; and Fig. 3 is a front view of the levers.

A represents a whiffletree provided with the caps a a at its ends, having ears b perforated for the passage of the bar 13, the ends 0 of which are bent, as shown, so that when turned toward projections d, located on the ends of the whiffletree, they can hold the ends of the traces without any liability of the detachment of the traces, unless the said bent ends 0 be turned away from the projections 61. The bar B is centrally supported by perforated ears 6 of a plate, 0, which embraces the lower angular edge, f, of the whiffletree, said plate being secured rigidly in position by means of securing-screws g, a bolt, D, passing vertically through the plate 0, through the whiflletree, and through a bearing-plate, E, on the top thereof, which carries integrally at its upper end a bearing-bracket, F, the withdrawal of I said bolt being prevented by means of a nut engaging the lower threaded end of the bolt. A bell-crank lever, G, pivoted in the bracket F, has one of its ends connected bya chain. h, to the looped end i' of an arm, H, which turns on the rod B, but is prevented from be coming laterally displaced by means of fixed collars j rigidly secured to the rod B at each side of said arm H. The portion k, of said arm, which turns on said rod B, is camshaped, so that when said arm H is in the position shown in Fig. 1 its cam portion k will be out of a recess, Z, therefor in the face of the whiffletree, and permit a lug, m, on a pivoted arm, I, to enter behind a second arm, J, which is rigidly hung on the rod B and turns with said rod, its point of connection with the same being also in the shape of a cam, the cam wedging against the lug m and preventing any movement of said arm J upward from its dependent position illustrated in Fig. 1. An ear, a, on the arm I rests upon lifted thereby when the said arm H is lifted, this movement raising the entire pivotedarm I on its pivot and lifting its lug m from behind the cam portion of the arm J, thereby permitting said arm to be lifted, and thus rotate the rod 13 and turn its bent ends 0, so that the traces can slip out of engagement therewith. This position of the parts is fully illustrated in Fig. 2. A strap, K, passes through a loop, 0, on the arm J, through a ring, 0, connected by a chain, it h, to the end i of the strap, L, connected to the ring 0, and passing up to the drivers seat, permitting the driver to pull the strap and throw all the parts into the position illustrated in Fig. 2.

From the foregoing description it will be apparent that the device is simple and effectjive in operation, and of cheap and durable construction.

1. The combination, in a horse-detaching device, of a bar turning in bearings on the whiffletree, the ends being bent to engage the ends of the traces, and an arm turning loosely on the bar to disengage a locking device and permit a second arm to be lifted, and thereby the cam portion of the arm H, so as to be lever, a V

rotate the bar to turn the bent ends thereof bell crank lever and the arms,-snbstantia11y 10 and effect the disengagement 0f the traces, as set forth.

substantially as set forth. In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 2. The combination, in a horse-detaching presence oftwc witnesses. I 1 L. r' 0' A "'7' 1 5 device, of a bai, B, has 1n the bent ends 0. JACOB AURTZ arms H, I, J, arranged as described, and hellcrank lever connected therewith by chains and strap-connections, as specified, and a strap-c0nnecti0n for manipulating the said 

